The Ark, The Reed and the Firecloud 3: Weak Points

The Ark, the Reed, and the Firecloud by Jenny L. Cote

The Ark, the Reed, and the Firecloud does have some weak points, of course. Most are trivial: there are a lot of anachronisms, especially in geography, and a consistent language error in which Liz gets a masculine adjective (enchanté, malheureux) instead of a feminine one (enchantée, malheureuse). On the whole, however, there are no major problems until they're on the Ark, but the issues really pile up at the end.

1. The reed becomes more magical and talismanic over time. The first place it's a real problem is on p. 326, where Max effectively invokes the reed (not God) to perform a miracle--and a miracle God likely wouldn't have bothered with himself, considering what was actually going on. At first I thought it was a counterfeit miracle that would be acknowledged by the villain at the end. Not so: it gets worse, because the reed is the way to beat the villain (421-422).

2. The villain on the Ark is a bit of a yank anyway, but it also acts out of character. It advises Max to be open with his friends about his fears (305), though Satan generally encourages us to keep secrets like that. It apparently can be venomous (unless that's only off the Ark), yet doesn't use that to attack Noah and kin. It keeps some captive passengers alive for some reason, though being trussed up for a year without eating would likely have proved fatal to them.

3. There's a resurrection/immortality bit at the end that is a convenient plot device for a series, but it troubled me anyway.

There are other points I could mention, but these are the ones parents should be ready to discuss with the kids.

Conclusion. While the story has problems, especially toward the end, they can be useful teaching points--the parents may learn as much as the kids if they discuss the matters intelligently. So I would recommend this with reservations.

The Ark, the Reed, and the Firecloud 2: Good Points

The Ark, the Reed, and the Firecloud
by Jenny L. Cote

The Ark, the Reed, and the Firecloud has several good points, especially if you bear in mind that it's a children's book.

Edutainment. There's a fair amount of good information here. Reading it as an adult, I found myself occasionally annoyed at the anachronisms, especially where languages and geography were concerned. But I doubt that would harm kids, and they could pick up a little knowledge of of places, languages, cultures, and fauna. Is it all accurate? No, but it's probably at or above the norm for kids' books.

Spiritual message. The main point seems to be trusting God rather than yourself, and that point is well made, both in terms of Max's eventual temptation to rely on his spirituality and Liz's tendency to seek intellectual solutions. (She somewhat reminds me of Genie at times.)

Visual impact. It's no surprise that this story is being adapted for a movie; there are several scenes, such as the fitness sessions on the Ark, that seem written for a movie, so they should appeal to modern, video-minded kids.

Creativity. In scripture fiction, this is often a bad thing, but here it is generally positive. Cote has a different take on some things than a lot of people writing about the Flood. Do I agree with her views? Not always, but at least she's not writing like yet another clone. A lot of books like this are boring; I feel as though I've read them all before, and in a sense I have, because there's no significant difference between them. So a fresh view is a good thing, especially where kids are concerned. They need to learn that there are other views out there, and they deserve thoughtful consideration, not reflexive rejection.

The Ark, the Reed, and the Firecloud is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

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The Ark, the Reed, and the Firecloud 1: Intro

The Ark, the Reed, and the Firecloud
by Jenny L. Cote

The Ark, the Reed, and the Firecloud tells the story of the animals that boarded Noah's Ark. Though the narrative primarily focuses on the European group led by Max the Scotty dog and Liz the cat, it also touches on other groups in Africa, Australia, and North America as they travel toward an unknown destination. The second part of the story deals with their time aboard the Ark itself, including a plot to destroy Noah's family and perhaps the Ark as a whole.

The story opens with Max hearing a strange message whispering in some reeds, telling him to follow the "firecloud"--a cloud mixed with strange fire reminiscent of the one that escorted the Israelites through the Exodus. Max takes one of the reeds along, mostly to justify the title, and begins his quest. Early on, Max shows himself a mix of growing faith and childhood fear. Liz, meanwhile, is the stereotypically cerebral character who knows practically everything but what it all means.

Once they reach the Ark, they move from mere problem-solving to dealing with a more insidious threat. They must also come to terms with their own destinies, which for Max, Liz, and their consorts will be longer than life if not larger. We'll look at the particular good points of the story tomorrow.

The Ark, the Reed, and the Firecloud is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

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Come to Me

This week, CFRB is featuring Laura Davis' Come to Me, a fictional account of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection told from Mary's viewpoint. The story opens in Jerusalem in A.D. 44. The first chapter is a bit long for a blog post, so I thought I'd just give the part where she receives a visitor.

It's not the Avon Lady.

“He is risen!”
Startled, Mary shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up to see
a handsome young man staring down at her.
“He is risen indeed! You must be Luke! John has told me so much
about you. Come to check up on me have you?” She smiled as she
took a bowl of olives that sat beside her and put it on her lap.
Luke chuckled, his dimples showing off his chiselled features. “Actually,
I just wanted the chance to meet my Lord’s mother - but don’t
tell John. He thinks I’m here to inquire after your health.”
She laughed, her brown almond-shaped eyes sparkling. “You don’t
fool me - either of you. John sends so many different people to check
on my welfare that it’s a wonder I can remember all their names.”
She patted the bench inviting Luke to sit. Taking some olives from
the bowl, Mary proceeded to pit them with lightning speed. Luke
watched in fascination at how quickly her slender fingers worked.
“May I help?” He asked suddenly.
Raising her eyebrows, Mary stared at Luke for a moment, then
nodded and placed the bowl between them. “Jesus used to like pitting
olives too. He said he found it calming.” She giggled, “Unfortunately,
he ate more than he pitted.”
Luke laughed heartily as he popped an olive into his mouth.
“I’ll tell you what I told Jesus,” she said, shaking her finger at him.
“If you eat more than you pit, then you’ve just had your supper.”
“Well then, I’d best stop eating them, as I’m used to eating more
than olives at my meals.”
“Get to work then and I might feed you more than olives!” She
teased.

Copyright 2007 Laura Davis.
Offer void where prohibited. Your mileage may vary. Contents sold by weight, not by volume. Just say no to drugs.
(There. That should take care of everybody.)

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